Why a Quiet Office Is Bad News

To: ME of CA

Good points. I agree that it is not comfortable to be placed in an environment where sounds from reasonable human interaction, whether productive or entertaining, are frowned upon. As is often the case, the real problem is the extremes.

When I take out my ear plugs I expect to be able to collaborate reasonably with those around me without scorn. I also expect my 33 decibel ear plugs to be able to silence that very same reasonable human interaction. Unfortunately, even 33 decibel ear plugs are no protection against someone, like the op-ed author, who prefers to listen to his music in a public work environment as loudly as he wants exclaiming "The louder the better!". That is just asking for one unreasonable and extreme situation to be replaced with another unreasonable and extreme situation.

If loud music is desired then a considerate and constructive solution would be to purchase an over-the-ear headset so that others aren't distracted by an undesirable Celine Dion song. When I've needed a creative boost while conceptualizing a large complicated project at a high level I have often found it helpful to be flooded with music to drown out other distractions. However, I still respect that the emotional and physical schedule of others working around me may not be in complete alignment with mine.

Large classrooms have a similar problem where groups of students are often expected to do the same thing at the same time. Montessori tries to offer a solution by allowing students to work at their own pace. I believe we are all happiest when allowed to work at our own pace and in our own way. We all need a break. We all need to laugh. We all need to concentrate and focus. However, it would be very unusual for a large group of people, all working productively on independent assignments, to be on the same physical and emotional schedule each work day. The challenge is for us to find a constructive way for these disparate needs to co-exist in a productive work environment.

Richard Lyders of TX 9:10AM March 09, 2013

This op-ed article reads very strongly of a valid, albeit single, point of view. Unfortunately, it shows little consideration towards how a large majority of engineers/scientists/scholars/writers work. How many great works of literature or composition were written with the author sitting at the local coffee house listening in on the random conversations of others? Because it is so one-sided without any study or research to back it, after a few paragraphs it begins to resemble more of a personal rant against past employers.

To enhance this conversation, here are some thoughtfully researched articles:

* Einstein and deep thoughts: http://ezinearticles.com/?Albert-Einstein:-How-to-Have-Deep-Thoughts&id=178279

* How to concentrate: http://www.successwithdesley.com/articles/paying_attention.pdf

* Workplace distractions: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324339204578173252223022388.html

My personal experience:

There is a time for collaboration with co-workers but there is also a need to focus and concentrate when dealing with complicated issues. Unfortunately, many businesses have put little effort towards allowing these disparate needs to co-exist. I'm usually assigned the more complex software development challenges where I work so it is imperative that I be allowed deep thought and concentration for extended periods of time. I get a lot of value out of sharing with my co-workers several times a day and better solutions result from many of those conversations. However, I take a lot of pride in my work so more often than not, I require deep concentration to make progress on developing solutions that haven't been done here before.

My answer to this problem has been to use high quality 33 decibel ear plugs. I like the "Howard Leight" brand, but there are others. (I only mention the brand because I have wasted a lot of time trying brands that don't work nearly as well.) These are less common than the cheaper brands, but you can usually find them at the drug store. Do *not* bother with the CVS knock-off that looks very similar as I found them to be nearly useless. I buy these on my own because I have yet to find an employer who respects what is truly involved in developing high quality solutions.

In my environment, the conversations around me are rarely relevant to my immediate work. We are all in cubes so there is no sound barrier between us. I can hear the loudest people on the floor talking from 60 feet away. Laughter can be heard on the other side of the building. Several people use their conference phone for every single call at full volume. With ear plugs, I only hear the beating of my heart and the sound of my own breathing. It is a beautiful state of being which has allowed me to produce my personal works of art: software solutions.

Richard Lyders of TX 11:10AM March 08, 2013

* camaraderie

Christianjoy of CT 12:40PM October 03, 2012

I totally disagree. Perhaps you don't need to concentrate but just a few times a day, but personally, I listen to my thoughts for concentration, inspiration and creativity. If you need music, put your headphones on for the sake of others. I'm sorry you were raised with a tv-sitter and now you can't do anything without some kind of background noise.

You don't need people chatting about their choice of cat food or whatever else during the day to create a healthy work environment. For your work discussions, there are conference rooms, and for your private discussions, there's the water cooler.

It's simply a matter of respect for others to keep your obnoxious need to share all aspects of your life out loud and online - to yourself.

The best office environment is one where workers can open their office door when they want to team up and close it when they need to focus.

Herman Miller has destroyed this, but please don't pretend you're some kind of expert on this by ignoring the research.

JD Breton of CO 4:44PM June 21, 2012